Where to find the best Filipino food in Dubai

Filipino food is a real culinary culture clash, with its Spanish, Chinese, Malay and American influences.

Rich in flavour and history, Pinoy fusion food is now revolutionising the global scene with successful ventures abroad, and according to New York Times, Food Network and Bloomberg, it’s the big trend food trend of the year.

Adobo

It’s often called the Philippines’ national dish, and though some might argue, adobo is undeniably a staple in any Filipino dining table.

With it’s name derived from the Spanish word ‘adobar’, which means to marinate, you won’t be surprised to learn the recipe calls for stewing meat in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, peppercorn and bay leaves, though stewing meat in vinegar also hasAdobo i its native origin.

Adobo is simple enough and almost everyone has their own different way of cooking it. So who makes the best adobo? A safe answer would be your mum, but if you’re having trouble replicating her recipe, almost every Pinoy resto in Dubai has it on the menu.

Halo-halo

Shaved ice, sweetened beans, plantains, tapioca, coconut sport, evaporated milk – these are just some of the ingredients that go into this popular dessert.

It’s a crazy concoction often served in a tall glass, then topped with flan, purple yam and ice-cream. Trust us, it’s delicious and brings back memories of hot summer days back home. The trick is to thoroughly mix (halo-halo translates as “mix, mix”) everything together.

The Chowking chain has three options of this dessert at its 14 branches around Dubai. chowking.ae

Sizzling sisig

A speciality from Pampanga – the Filipino province famous for its good food – the original sisig is a dish of chopped meat and other parts (read: liver and jowl) seasoned with chilli, lemon and mayonnaise.

The flavours and chewy to crunchy texture play with the palate and while there are different varieties of sisig, from chicken to milkfish to squid, it’s still best served on a hot, sizzling plate and topped with raw egg.